Rules For Troublemen

Reprinted from "INSULATORS - Crown Jewels of the Wire", May 1977, page 34

Dear Dora,

I have enclosed a copy of "Rules for Troublemen". I got it in 1965 from a supervisor I worked for while employed by Illinois Bell Telephone. It is not known if it originated from Illinois Bell or its predecessor, The Chicago Telephone Co. As it says, it will no doubt evoke a chuckle, especially form present and former employees of telephone companies. Maybe someone who reads it can come up with the information as to where it originated.

Thanks,
Dennis Kotan

TIMES HAVE CHANGED OR HAVE THEY

Not many of our present Plant Department employees were around in 1911 when L. C. Jones, then Plant Superintendent, published a memorandum entitled "Rules for Troublemen". The memorandum consisted of 23 rules and was intended to guide the "Troubleman" in his contacts with the public and in the performance of other phases of his daily job. 

A review of the 23 rules will no doubt evoke a chuckle here and there and may bring back fond memories to some of our old timers. The horse and wagon have long since disappeared from the telephone scene, but some of the philosophy expressed by Mr. Jones might well apply to our present day to day jobs. It is with these thoughts in mind that we have reproduced the following.

RULES FOR TROUBLEMEN

1. Put up a good front. It is not necessary to advertise any tailor shop, neither is it necessary to go about your work looking like a coal heaver. Overalls can look as respectable as anything else, but they must at least show that they are on speaking terms with the laundryman, and shoes must have a bowing acquaintance with the bootblack.

2. Make the liveryman wash and oil your wagon and harness, and do not tie the harness up with wire longer than is  necessary to get proper repairs. The same may be said of your suspenders and buttons.

3. Keep all unnecessary junk out of your wagon.

4. Don't pitch dry batteries into the bed of your wagon to be hauled around day after day with broken insulators, bolts, wire, pole steps, and what not. Don't neglect to memorize the fact that the supply houses are not running charitable institutions for the benefit of the company.

5. Go about your business cheerfully and quietly. When you enter a residence don't overlook the floormat. If requested to go around to the back door, don't consider yourself insulted, but try to realize that the lady of the house may not have a maid, and is only trying to save work for herself. Say good morning or evening; it doesn't cost anything and shows you started out right at home.

6. If compelled to do anything that makes a litter, ask for a newspaper to catch the trash. The lady of the house will be grateful.

7. Close the door when you go out, not forgetting to shut the front gate.

8. When you leave be sure you have looked over everything carefully and have anticipated, as far as possible some future trouble.

9. It is not necessary to tell the lady of the house that her telephone is worn out and no good. She may think as much herself. Tell her that her telephone is as good as anybody's, and back it up by making it so.

10. If you ever believe that a subscriber is a crank, forget it. All of them are wise enough to tell when a telephone is not working right. Not every troubleman can do this.

11. Be courteous and polite, and don't be afraid to hand out a little jolly occasionally. It doesn't hurt anybody's feelings to be jollied a little.

12. Treat everybody as you like to be treated, not forgetting your horse. If you want to feel the horse's side of it, just take off your coat and hat some zero day, hitch yourself to the same post with your belt and stand there about two hours. Hereafter don't forget the horse's blanket.

13. Don't go pellmell through the streets regardless of pedestrians as though you were going after your salary check. The fact that a man is always in a hurry doesn't always mean that he is accomplishing very much.

14. Remember that you do more to raise or lower the company's profits per subscriber than anything else except a sleet-storm or a fire, depending on how many times you go back to do the thing that you should have done the first time.

15. Don't idle away your time, there is always something to do if you will only do it.

16. Don't forget to report to the proper party things that you see that need attention.

17. If you will do today what somebody would put off until tomorrow you need not worry about your future.

18. Cultivate the friendship of the people with whom you do business, it makes friends for the company, and friendship is essential to true success.

19. Carry yourself with dignity and others will accord it to you.

20. Study your business and try to improve the quality of your work.

21. Remember that you are working more nearly on honor than any other employee of the company, considering that necessarily the troubleman has less supervision than other employees, hence you should come across with a square deal.

22. Report for duty promptly and don't be afraid to work overtime.

23. If you don't like your job, resign. It will be better for you and the company.